1. The Dirt on Soil

2. What is soil texture?
Soil texture is the fineness or coarseness of a soil. It describes the proportion of three sizes of soil particles.
The textures of soil include:
Sand—large particle
Silt—medium-sized particle
Clay—small particle

3. Soil Particle Size

4. Sand
Sand is the largest particle in the soil. When you rub it, it feels rough. This is because it has sharp edges. Sand does not hold many nutrients.

5. Silt
Silt is a soil particle whose size is between sand and clay. Silt feels smooth and powdery. When wet it feels smooth but not sticky.

6. Clay
Clay is the smallest of particles. Clay is smooth when dry and sticky when wet. Soils high in clay content are called heavy soils. Clay also can hold a lot of nutrients, but doesn't let
air and water through it
well.

7. Why is soil texture important?
Texture is important because it affects:
Water-holding capacity—the ability of a soil to retain water for use by plants
Permeability—the ease with which air and water may pass through the soil
Soil workability—the ease with which soil may be tilled and the timing of working the soil after a rain
Ability of plants to grow—some root crops like carrots and onions will have difficulty growing in a fine-textured soil

8. References
Soil Background Picture Particle Pictures/Information Sand Picture Silt Picture Clay Picture